Join us in celebrating Calla Ruff ’23! Calla is participating in The Telling Room’s Young Emerging Authors program this year. Every fall, four student authors are selected for a yearlong fellowship where they will write, edit, and publish their own books! They will be working on a collection of personal poetry inspired by a year of learning to live intentionally in the midst of a pandemic. From a semester in the mountains of North Carolina to their transition back to “normal life” in Maine, this lyric “deep dive into the messiness of being seventeen” explores healing from trauma and mental illness and learning to find happiness in daily life.
National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists and Commended Students
Congratulations to our National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists and Commended Students from the Class of 2023!
From left to right: Maya Flores, Maren Cooper, Oscar Twining, Elliot Robinson, Matthew Adey
Climate justice activist Anna Siegel ’24 featured on News Center Maine
Junior Anna Siegel recently received a Brookie Award from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, which honor the state’s young environmental leaders. Learn more about her journey to becoming a climate justice activist in this recent News Center Maine profile:
First Pachanga of the school year
We were happy to observe a sea of smiling faces at the first Lower School Pachanga of the year!
Outdoor Experience 2022
You never know what Outdoor Experience will bring! While working at Community Servings in Boston, our students met Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, who had come in to package and deliver the organization’s 11 millionth meal. Ayanna shared some words of encouragement with our students and told them that she expects to see great things from them in the future. We do, too!
Outdoor Experience also provided a great opportunity for students and faculty members to relaunch the Upper School Community Engagement Program under (mostly) blue skies. Our objective this year was to engage in dialogue, service, and recreation in concentric circles of the communities that surround Waynflete starting with our campus, neighborhood, city, and beyond.
Students need more
If you have concerns about your child finding joy after several years of the COVID-19 pandemic, you aren’t alone. At Waynflete, we want every child to love school and are committed to meeting every child where they are. We are doing what we have always done: more. More challenging, engaging, hands-on learning in small classes. More individual attention and personalized instruction from trusted teachers. And more time to connect and build friendships.
The past three years have been heavy ones, and even young children have felt the weight. Lifting it has been a focus across all Waynflete divisions. We take social-emotional development seriously, and work hard to ensure that Waynflete is a place where students who are motivated, engaged, and curious thrive. We meet children where they are—right now—and work closely with them to get where they need to be.
The blended classrooms in Early Childhood and Lower School support a holistic approach. The two-year age range means children are always surrounded by friends working at their growth edges. “Seeing everyone progress at a different rate is more reassuring,” explains Lower School Director Anne Hopkins. “And seeing the collective effort everyone is making to master new skills is more inspiring.”
“I think we are also able to offer more understanding,” adds Middle School Director Divya Muralidhara. “We have more awareness of what different students have experienced through this pandemic—disruptions and stress at home, anxiety about vulnerable family members, social isolation, or academic disconnection. We are not just looking at where a child is…we want to understand why. This is a community where students can be recognized for who they are and what they have overcome.”
This total commitment to student-centered learning and personalized instruction continues in the Upper School, where there is an additional adult—the advisor—whose entire purpose is to get to know individual children holistically, to help them connect to peers, and to serve as an advocate and guide through all the experiences that come their way. “Students get to choose, and they often do choose, to stay with the same advisor for all four years,” says Upper School Director Asra Ahmed. “The deep and robust student-advisor relationship that forms over that time is significant. The continuity of care this provides to our students is often identified by students as integral to their feelings of recognition and success in our community.”
Our small class sizes support the most powerful element of a Waynflete education: personalized learning. If your child felt lost or left behind during the pandemic, they will feel seen and supported at Waynflete. “Smaller classrooms are absolutely essential to the way we teach at Waynflete,” says Divya. “We make sure our teachers have the time to work with all their students one-on-one and design learning experiences around their students’ strengths and interests.”
Our teachers are given lots of time to truly get to know their students and the resources to design experiential learning experiences around their strengths and interests. This approach built trust between students and teachers and kept students engaged with their classes and in close contact with their instructors.
“When you can spend more time working with students, they make more progress,” Divya explains. “When concepts, lessons, and projects are configured around their needs and aptitudes, they get it faster and want to go further.”At Waynflete, our students know they will struggle sometimes to overcome challenges or reach goals. They also know they will always have personalized support.
Waynflete offers challenging, engaging, hands-on learning in small classes. More individual attention and personalized instruction from trusted teachers. And more time to connect with a diverse group of friends. If you are looking for more for your child, take a look at Waynflete. To learn more, contact our Admission department by email or at 207.274.5224.
Our graduates are going places in 2022!
Waynflete’s Class of 2022 will attend a wide-ranging group of colleges and universities this fall!
Bates College – 3
Bennington College
Boston University – 2
Bowdoin College – 5
Brandeis University
Broward College
Brown University – 2
Bryn Mawr College
Champlain College
Clemson University
Colby College – 2
Connecticut College – 3
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Dominican University of California
George Washington University
Grinnell College
Haverford College
Howard University
Ithaca College
Macalester College
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Mount Holyoke College
Occidental College – 3
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design – 2
Saint Anselm College
Saint Lawrence University
Salve Regina University
Sarah Lawrence College
Sewanee: University of the South
Skidmore College
SUNY at Purchase College
Syracuse University – 2
University of Alabama
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Denver – 3
University of Maine
University of New England
University of Southern California – 2
University of Southern Maine
University of Tennessee Chattanooga
University of Virginia
Vassar College
Villanova University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute – 2
Sixth-graders host mini museum
On Monday—the last full day of full classes—sixth-graders hosted a “mini” museum to share projects from their Latin and history classes with the school community. From their Latin classes, the students shared their “Bloom Balls,” 12-sided 3-D projects reflecting different aspects of historical figures that they researched. From their history classes, students presented the “3-D Masterpieces” from their year-end research project, visual aids meant to represent part of their learning about the individual topic related to the ancient Mediterranean. Visitors to the Museum included many faculty and staff, two 2-3 home stations, and the entire K-1 class. The sixth-graders presented professionally and impressed visitors with the depth of their knowledge about their topics!
Angel Ortiz ’22 selected as one of ten “2022 Graduates to Watch”
Congratulations to senior Angel Ortiz for being selected by the Press Herald as one of ten “Class of 2022 Graduates to Watch”! (Press Herald photo)
Middle schoolers finish up Rainbow Week with a fundraiser
Thanks to our 8th graders in the SAGE group for organizing a great Rainbow Week with a little help from seventh graders! Rainbow Week was a celebration of Pride and aimed to help raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues. The week culminated last Friday with students dressing in rainbow colors and a donut sale to raise funds for The Trevor Project!
Upper Schooler authors publication highlighting Maine scientists
Congratulations to Blythe Thompson ’22 for authoring “Waynflete PrISM” (Profiles on Inspiring Scientists in Maine), a publication that seeks to highlight the contributions that Maine scientists to their respective fields and to inspire Maine youth who are considering careers in science. The publication features interviews with Maine leaders in STEM fields, including Waynflete alums who have gone on to pursue science-related careers.
Waynflete announces Athletic Hall of Fame inaugural class
Waynflete has announced the inaugural class of our newly established Athletic Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame selection committee has chosen four individuals to receive this special honor and be recognized at a ceremony during Reunion Weekend (May 15, 2022). The members of the inductee Class of 2022 are Ron Hall, Jeff Madore, Martha Veroneau ’13, and Morgan Woodhouse ’10.
The Waynflete Athletic Hall of Fame was established this year to recognize and honor those Waynflete athletes, coaches, administrators, supporters, and teams who excelled in their respective sports or coaching/support roles, and who brought honor, recognition, and excellence to the school.
Ron Hall – Former administrator, coach, and faculty
Ron Hall, former head of school, Upper School director, development director, admissions director, and athletic director, has been a dedicated administrator, coach, mentor, and fan. Over his many years at Waynflete, Ron was not only responsible for developing many sports programs at the school, he also coached numerous Upper School teams, including soccer, basketball, hockey, skiing, tennis, and lacrosse. The Fore River Campus’s lower field was named Hall Field to honor Ron for his significant contributions to Waynflete Athletics.
Jeff Madore – Coach
Jeff Madore began coaching girls varsity tennis in 2002, leading the team to class C state championships in 2002 and 2006. Since he began coaching boys varsity tennis in 2007, Jeff has led Waynflete to 15 class C state championships, including 13 consecutive championships (2008–2021). Jeff has been recognized by the Portland Press Herald numerous times as Coach of the Year, and was the Maine State and New England Tennis Coach of the Year in 2019.
Martha Veroneau ’13 – Athlete
Martha Veroneau, Class of 2013, was a class C individual cross-country champion in 2009 and a state champion basketball player who was selected as Miss Maine Basketball in 2013. She was a 1,000-point scorer, Waynflete’s all-time leading scorer, and holds the state tournament record for points scored in a game (47). Martha was a three-time lacrosse state champion, was the Portland Press Herald’s Athlete of the Year in 2013, and was the Press Herald’s Lacrosse Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
Morgan Woodhouse ’10 – Athlete
Morgan Woodhouse, Class of 2010, was an All New England soccer player, a two-time state champion, and was twice selected as the class C soccer player of the year. She was a Miss Maine Basketball semi-finalist, a 1,000-point scorer, and a Western Maine Conference Butler award winner. Morgan was named an All American in lacrosse, was twice a state champion, and was Waynflete’s senior athlete of the year.
“Can We?” partners share vision of a brighter future in Press Herald column
John Suttie, high school principal and superintendent of Old Orchard Beach Schools, and Philip Rossetti, an assistant principal at Windham High School, recently penned an article in the Portland Press Herald on the subject of The Can We? Project. The two administrators from Can We? partner schools shared the importance of creating spaces for dialogue across differences in high schools as a means of preparing the next generation of leaders and citizens to humanize and co-exist with “the other”. The school administrators who signed the letter, as well as those at other partner schools, have opened their doors to Third Thought Initiatives and have promoted the value of the work by encouraging students to attend and participate.
Read an article from the 2022 Waynflete Magazine on The Can We? Project
NRCM recognizes Anna Siegel ’24 with 2022 Brookie Award
The Natural Resources Council of Maine has awarded sophomore Anna Siegel with a 2022 Brookie Award for her environmental leadership. The Brookie awards honors Maine’s young environmental changemakers for their leadership, creativity, and positive impact for Maine’s environment.
Anna spearheaded Maine Youth for Climate Justice’s efforts to pass LD 99 to divest the Maine Public Employees Retirement System from fossil fuels, a first-in-the-nation bill. A passionate birder since childhood, she first got involved in climate advocacy after learning about the impacts of climate on birds. Anna started Maine Youth Climate Strikes (now Maine Youth Action, where she is the Campaigns Director) and worked with youth statewide to pass climate emergency declarations at city councils and select boards through climate strikes.
In 2021, Anna got involved in the legislative process for the first time. She worked directly with State Representative Maggie O’Neil to introduce LD 99 and led a youth coalition to generate grassroots communications into lawmakers. The fossil fuels divestment movement has largely been worked on by college students on college campuses, but Anna realized that Maine’s pension fund was complicit in the climate crisis and took action. Now she is collaborating with divestment movements in other states to divest their state employee retirement systems from fossil fuels.
Anna is a demonstrated climate leader who employed creative tactics, motivated her peers, helped pass legislation, and is now working to ensure it is implemented. She is also a founding member of the Maine Youth for Climate Justice coalition and member of the Yarmouth Committee for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability. Congratulations Anna!
Waynflete announces 2022 Drake Award and Klingenstein Alumni Award recipients
Waynflete is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Drake Award and the 2022 Klingenstein Alumni Award. We will celebrate these exceptional members of our community during Reunion Weekend on May 13, 2022.
Bonnie Docherty ’90
2022 Klingenstein Alumni Award Recipient
Waynflete is pleased to announce that Bonnie Docherty ’90 is the recipient of the 2022 Klingenstein Alumni Award. Waynflete’s board of trustees established the Klingenstein Award in spring 2019. The award is rooted in our mission, which calls for responsible and caring participation in the world. Through the Klingenstein Award, we seek to recognize one Waynflete alumnus/alumna per year whose responsible and caring participation in the world—at the local, national, or international level—has had broad and positive ramifications. The award is named for its first recipient, Patricia Davis Klingenstein ’47, in recognition of her work as an education advocate, devoted community leader, volunteer, and philanthropist.
Bonnie Docherty has worked for two decades in the fields of international humanitarian law and disarmament, particularly as they relate to civilian protections in armed conflict. She is a lawyer, field researcher, and scholar, and has played an active and leading role in campaigns against numerous problematic weapons. Bonnie is a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic, where she directs its Armed Conflict and Civilian Protection Initiative, and she is also a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. Her on-site investigations of cluster munition use in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Georgia helped galvanize international opposition to the weapon. She participated in the negotiations of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions and has promoted implementation of the convention since its adoption. In 2010, Bonnie contributed to Oxford University Press’s comprehensive legal commentary on the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Bonnie has applied a humanitarian approach to her work on other indiscriminate or inhumane weapons. She played a key role in the negotiations of the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, successfully advocating for specific provisions and providing legal advice to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the civil society coalition that received the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. She has also advocated for stronger regulation of incendiary weapons, and her many publications on fully autonomous weapons have outlined the threats that these weapons pose to civilians and have shaped arguments for a new treaty to ban them.
Bonnie has investigated the effects of war on civilians in Ethiopia, Gaza, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Nepal, and Ukraine. In March 2022, Bonnie testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber on early signs of war crimes and human rights abuses committed by Russian armed forces during the Ukraine invasion.
Bonnie has additional expertise in the field of human rights and the environment. She has examined the effects of mining on disadvantaged and indigenous communities in British Columbia, Guyana, and South Africa, and has written about the problem of climate change migration. Bonnie involved her Harvard Law students in much of this work and has authored and published countless reports and articles.
Katie Glaser Getchell ’88
2022 Drake Award Recipient
Waynflete School is pleased to announce that Katie Glaser Getchell ’88 is the recipient of the 2022 Drake Award. In 1976, Emerson and Ping Drake, parents of four former Waynflete students, received a special honor for their service to Waynflete. Emerson Drake had served on the board of trustees for 16 years, the last several as president. Ping was active within the Waynflete community, volunteering in many areas of the school. They were recognized by the board with the award that now bears their name. Ping was also made an honorary Waynflete alumna. We honor their example and their memory by awarding the Drake Award each year.
Katie has been part of the Waynflete community since 1981, when she enrolled as a student in the sixth grade. As an alumna, she has been a dedicated and long-serving volunteer and a generous supporter of Waynflete’s fundraising efforts.
Katie was a member of Waynflete’s board of trustees for six years, chairing the Alumni Leadership Council and serving on the Development Committee, the Global Committee, the Second Century Capital Campaign Leadership Committee, and the Annual Fund Committee, where she volunteered as a leadership donor solicitor. She was recently appointed trustee emerita. As a challenge donor and an ambassador for the school’s annual fundraiser, Katie has helped inspire alumni to support the Waynflete Fund every year. She supported the school’s fundraising auctions as a regular donor and attendee, and for many years hosted the Boston alumni regional gathering at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Katie has shared her professional experiences with Upper School students as an alumni speaker. She recently volunteered to moderate an Alumni Lunch and Learn program featuring alumni entrepreneurs. Katie continues to be an ambassador for Waynflete, always finding time to welcome young alumni with an interest in art or museums to learn more about her work and to advise them on networking and job searches.
New artificial turf field installed at Fore River Fields!
The brand-new artificial turf surface is now complete on Hall Field at the Fore River Campus! The updated field will be a significant benefit for our lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, and ultimate frisbee programs. No more canceling or postponing games due to wet fields, and no more staying off wet fields for practice! We have already had one day of lacrosse practice and one scrimmage on the field. Middle School lacrosse and soccer teams will practice daily on Hall Field and be able to play some games as well. The upcoming Flyers Youth Lacrosse clinics will also be on the turf. Cleats, sneakers and turf shoes are all fine for wearing on the turf.
Waynflete Middle Schoolers place first in event at regional “Sea Perch” competition
Waynflete Middle and Upper School robotics teams competed Friday at the regional Sea Perch competition in Durham, New Hampshire. The event is jointly hosted by the University of New Hampshire and the US Navy.
Our Middle School team competed in two events: Challenge Course and the Obstacle Course. In both events, the team had to maneuver their robot through a series of obstacles, including opening and closing a hatch, removing and replacing a battery, and changing out tools—all while underwater! The all-girls Middle School team placed first in the Challenge Course, beating out teams from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Team members:
Tessy Bikamba (team captain, chief robot designer, engineer, and builder)
Rodas Kahasay (chief tetherer)
Grace Alexander (chief driver)
Lucy Olson (chief team strategist)
Missing from photo: Nicole Alder
Waynflete teams take first and second place at 2022 Maine State Science Olympiad
Thirty-two Upper School students participated in the Maine State Science Olympiad tournament on Saturday, April 9 at the University of Maine in Orono. The Waynflete Green team was captained by seniors Blythe Thompson and Henry Wagg. Our White team was captained by seniors Julia Werner and Deon Rivers.
Waynflete’s teams took first and second places overall in the state competition. Highlights included the six events in which the two teams took both gold and silver medallions: Forensics (Kate Bramley-Simmons ’22, Matt Adey ’23, Aelia Russell ’24, and Charlie Horner ’23), Wi-Fi Lab (Henry Wagg ’22, Maya Flores ’23, Cole Isherwood ’23, and Tipton Heminway ’24), Wright Stuff airplane (Maren Cooper ’23, Reed Robinson ’23, Vera Shattuck ’22, Aelia Russell ’24, and Deon Rivers ’22), Astronomy (Blythe Thompson ’22, Oscar Herrera ’22, Vera Shattuck ’22, and Deon Rivers ’22), It’s About Time clock and test (Maya Flores ’23, Oscar Twining ’23, Liam Anderson ’23, and Charlie Horner ’23) and Environmental Chemistry (Orion Keierleber ’23, Maren Cooper ’23, Lolie Millspaugh ’22, and Julia Werner ’22).
Other engineering events did well too: Trajectory, 1st place (Nathan Bukowski-Thall ’22, Kate Bramley-Simmons ’22, and Ed Cox ’22), Gravity Vehicle, 2nd place (Henry Wagg ’22 and Nik Chaney ’24), Ping Pong Bottle Rocket, 3rd (Cole Isherwood ’23 and Lincoln Smith ’23), and Bridge 2nd place (Blythe Thompson ’22 and Matt Adey ’23).
Resident ornithologist Reed Robinson ’23 and his partner Oscar Herrera ’22 earned gold for Ornithology, missing only the species identification for a recording of owl fledgling calls! Write It Do It, a test of students’ ability to communicate and interpret technical information, saw a first and third place finish for Waynflete (Mira Levine ’24, Oscar Herrera ’22, Lincoln Smith ’23, and Liam Anderson ’22). Other top finishes included Disease Detectives (Blythe and Ed for 1st place, and Cece Marshall ’22 and Lolie for third place); Chem Lab got 1st and 3rd place as well (Maren, Mira, Tipton and Jasper Curtis ’23); Experimental Design also came in 1st and 3rd (Vera, Deon, Aelia and Matt, Blythe, Oscar T.).
“Tell it like it is, make it what it can be” – Waynflete hosts sixth annual New England Youth Identity Summit
There was much to be hopeful for as students arrived on campus on a sunny Saturday morning in April. The 2022 New England Youth Identity Summit, presented by Waynflete, Third Thought Initiatives for Civic Engagement, valo, and Seeds of Peace (with financial support from Educate Maine) was back on campus and in-person. This was the sixth Summit, but it had been three years since students had come together for a day of student-led workshops, speakers, dialogue, and celebratory performances. High school seniors might have remembered attending as ninth graders back in 2019, but would current ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders have the curiosity and courage to take part? Would teachers and educators still value the Summit experience and encourage their students to attend?
Nearly 200 students and educators arrived that morning from over twenty schools and six states. Students came on their own and with classmates, friends, and supporting adults. Teachers rented buses and vans to drive from Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Some students walked through the doors with confidence while others appeared more hesitant. Franklin Theater filled with a buzz of energy and jitters. Eleventh grader Tori Bolduc-Jackson, a member of the Summit host team, opened from the stage with a welcome: “What is important to us? What do we prioritize? What can we hope for in the future?”
Tell it like it is, make it what it can be, was students’ guiding theme for the day, their hope being to recognize neighbors as individuals, uncover shared histories, and shape communities. Students led workshops with titles such as “Rethinking Monuments,” “How You Can Grocery Shop for the Environment,” “Stereotype Threat,” “Navigating Success and Mental Health,” “A Beginner’s Guide to Feminism,” and more. In small workshop spaces and large presentations, in hallways between sessions and outside at lunchtime, students made space for one another to share, connect, to create, and grow.
South Portland Mayor Deqa Dhalac, the first Somali-American mayor in the United States, embodied the spirit of the Summit with her warmth and encouragement during her keynote address. “What I’m missing is within you,” she told the audience, coaxing everyone towards deeper engagement and a global perspective.
While students from valo have always participated in the Summit, this year the organization joined as a Summit partner, contributing not just financial support but countless hours of preparation, collaboration, energy, and creativity. Valo students teamed up with Waynflete students to be the leading voices of the day, while adults from valo stepped into support roles, creating space for student connection and empowerment. Through their partnership, valo helped make the Summit what it can be.
Back in Franklin Theater after a full day, South Sudanese dance artist Veeva Banga brought everyone in the audience to their feet for an Afro-beats dance-along. Students representing Seeds of Peace performed a spoken word poem, “What is the American Dream?” In the final lines of the poem they asked:
What is the American Dream, the American song, the American?
Passion channeled into dialogue brings change, so let’s talk.
What makes an American?
Eleventh-grade host team member Annie Reynolds invited everyone to share their reflections on the day, beginning with the prompts, “Today I heard, today I felt, today I wonder, Now I want to…” Her teammate, Bessy Dushime ’23, took the mic into the audience to capture everyone’s thoughts, with the audience clapping and cheering in support:
“Today I felt not only empowered but powerful.”
“Today I felt support and inspiration.”
“Now I want to bring what I learned back to my school community.”
“Today I felt seen for the first time in a while.”
“Now I want to come back again next year.”
Planning is already underway for the seventh New England Youth Identity Summit on Saturday, April 1, 2023, with support from a gift in honor of Anne and Dick Jackson. We look forward to seeing new and familiar faces and to hearing everyone tell it like it is.
Interested in next year’s Summit? Join our email list!
Read attendee reflections from the 2022 Summit.
New and updated electives coming for the 2022–23 academic year
Waynflete’s Upper School faculty and administrators have designed an exciting range of new and updated electives for the 2022–23 academic year! New and revised classes include:
- Poverty, Marginalization, and Public Service
- Economics and American Capitalism
- Global Ethics and Public Policy
- Spinning the Globe: Studies in “World Literature”
- Medieval Literature of Europe and the Islamic World
- Law, Literature, and Social Justice
- The Theory of Translation
- Programming for Scientists and Engineers: Object-oriented programming with Python
- Design and Fabrication
- Engineering I
- Linear Algebra and Advanced Mathematical Topics
- Digital Music Production
To learn more about these course offerings, contact Waynflete Admission at or 207.274.5224.